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52
Staff.
The work of the Maternity and Child Welfare Department
is carried on under the provision of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Act, 1918, which authorises a Local Authority to make
suitable arrangements for attending to the health of expectant
and nursing mothers, and of children up to the age of five years.
The main Centre is at the White House, Plashet Grove, and there
are subsidiary Centres at Manor Park, North Woolwich, and
Greatfield Wards.
The Staff of the Department consists of the Assistant Medical
Officer in charge, six Health Visitors and a Clerk.
Until December, however; the number of Health Visitors
was five; the vacancy that occurred five years ago, and remained
unfilled -for reasons then existing, being filled only at the end
of the year by the appointment of Miss Bowles. The restoration
of the Staff of Health Visitors to its former level is a matter for
much satisfaction; but it requires to be borne in mind that, while
we are now enabled to undertake more adequately than recently
the oversight of the infant population, there is a wide interval of
child age, between two and five years (when children come under
the observation of the School Medical Officer), that can under
present circumstances receive only scanty attention. It is widely
realised throughout the country that the problem of the supervision
of the toddlers is the next question to be faced, if the
still regrettably large proportion of physical defects found in children
on admission to school life is to be reduced. As the very
large infant mortality that formerly existed has been reduced
in the years since infant life came under trained observation and
control, so will the incidence of defects still found in children
arriving at school age be at least greatly modified when a similar
oversight of children of the toddler age can be undertaken. When
circumstances render it possible, an enlargement of the Staff
of Health Visitors for this purpose is an advance greatly to be
desired.
Infant Welfare Clinics.
Infant Welfare Clinics are held as follows :—
White House, Plashet Grove, on
Monday, Thursday and Friday, at 2 p.m.